(The Center Square) – Republican leadership in the Arizona Legislature and the Arizona Trucking Association have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its electric vehicle mandate.
The two cases filed before a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., focus on the EPA’s desire to bring more electric vehicles to the market. Specifically, those suing are objecting to an EPA rule requiring 70% of vehicles overall, including a quarter of “heavy duty vehicles,” to be made electric by 2032, according to a press release.
“These rules exceed EPA’s statutory authority, are arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion,” Senate President Warren Petersen said in a statement on Wednesday. “In the absence of an attorney general holding the Biden administration accountable, the Legislature will gladly protect our citizens from this blatant use of power,” he added.
Tony Bradley, president and CEO of the Arizona Trucking Association, raised concerns about how pushing for the shift in the allotted timeframe could drive up costs.
“EPA’s rules on tailpipe emissions prioritize politics over science, posing a greater threat to public health by inflating the cost of basic and everyday goods,” Bradley said in a statement.
The Legislature submitted comments to the EPA on proposed rules on “emission standards” in June 2023, saying they failed to “rely on a cost-benefit analysis” and that the rules violate the “leading questions principle,” among many other issues. .
“As this matter is pending litigation, EPA has no further information to provide,” the agency told Center Square in an email on Friday. A press release from Senate Republicans noted that the Legislature is also involved in a lawsuit with 16 other states against California over the wide-ranging impacts of their electric vehicle goals on the trucking industry.
“The regulation forces truck drivers in and out of California to retire their internal combustion trucks if they want to come to California,” the complaint states. “This will inevitably disrupt the supply chain for all types of goods, slow interstate transportation, raise commodity prices across the country, and impose costs on taxpayers and governments across the country. It is the wrong policy and was implemented nationwide without Congress’s blessing or approval.” Elected leaders in affected countries.”
(tags for translation) Arizona
